Secretary of State Dulles indicated to a press conference today that the United States does not oppose the dispatch by Israel of a test ship through the Suez Canal but would oppose any attempt to settle the matter by force.
Secretary Dulles said it was hardly up to America to tell another government not to rest its rights. But the United States would, of course, oppose any resort to force, he said.
Mr. Dulles suggested that the United States would disapprove any action by Egypt to deny passage to an Israeli ship. He noted, however, that the United States does not make a practice of expressing views of actions by other governments which do not involve American interests. He said the United States had already made its position clear on unrestricted transit through the canal in respect to the 1888 Convention.
He asserted the United States was not sufficiently advised on any such plan as the reported Israeli intention to test Suez passage. Therefore, he said, there was no U.S. policy on an Israeli test plan. He added that American views on free passage in the canal were already known.
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